Chapter Text
"So... Would you prefer alphabetical order, or from our favourite to least favourite?"
"Sasha..."
"Or you know, from longest to shortest?"
"Sasha-"
"OR I know, from most logical to least logical because that would be entertaining-"
"Sasha!" both Sigma and Fadeyka yelled at the same time. The said girl turned to them with a scowl.
"What? He asked for explanations!"
Sigma loudly groaned. He walked further into the room, his illusion passing through the chairs easily. Fadeyka couldn't see Halide around but he knew this was her ability. From closer Sigma looked even worse. His clothes were clean but they were torn. He had small scrathes and bruises all over his face. Yet, he looked exactly the same as the one who stood next to him. Fadeyka assumed that would come off as a surprise to the past group, and sure enough...
"Well, you look very young." Nikolai said. "Though you've grown into your looks! No longer a baby!" he wiped an imaginary tear. Past Sigma punched his arm. Future Sigma didn't seem amused as well. He was glaring daggers at Nikolai.
"When the Ring attacked, the government assumed it would be helpful if we were, ah what was it again? We should be in our "best selves, unrestrained by time" and it would be... "beneficial." the manager explained. "So the very gracious captain of the Hunting Dogs reversed our ages. Lovely girl." he said through gritted teeth.
"Oh yes." Fyodor smiled nicely. "I have heard about your loss to Okura Teruko. I warned you, didn't I?"
"Shut it Dostov. I'm already mad at your kids, don't you get on my nerves too."
Fadeyka could see the way his father lose it every passing day. So many changes, things out of his control. People out of his control. He must have been losing his mind. Still he interrupted before Fyodor could retort.
"Easy Sisha. We really are sorry for running out on you but you need to calm down."
Sigma's eyes snapped down to Fadeyka, his features hardening.
"Calm down!? Are you insane!?" he yelled. Fadeyka felt Alexandra shift closer to him. She always hated being yelled at.
"Your parents sent you to me for protection! Have you ever thought how bad the situation was if the great Dostoevsky trusted someone else, with his kids of all things!? What were you thinking you fools? Running away like that!"
"We were given an order!" Alexandra spoke up with a surge of boldness. "All of us were."
"By whom?" Sigma narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Daishiro but Alexandra shook her head.
"I can't tell you. It's one of our rules" she mumbled.
"Rules of what?"
Silence. Sigma, sighed and turned to Fadeyka.
"What or who could be so important that you'd risk your safety?"
"You have to trust me in this Sisha. There was no risk-"
"No risk!?" Sigma yelled again. "You are trapped twenty years in the past, with hundreds of Ring soldiers and half of the Alliance who are under their control! Damn it Fadeyka, do you want to lose your sister too!?"
Now Fadeyka wasn't the one to get hurt by words alone. He had been stabbed before. Shot at, beaten up, poisoned. But he never gave into the pain. Not unless it was this. Fadeyka had always seen death as a natural part of life. It was a natural part of life. But when he had left home one morning and didn't come back. When he had become nothing more than a memory, a picture in a frame, an empty bedroom...
Now Fadeyka could see how foolish his decision was. He had risked his life, Alexandra's life, for what? Because he wanted to rescue his parents on his own? In what scenerio he could win where his parents failed? Sigma was right. He couldn't even protect him before, how was he supposed to protect the reckless Alexandra? He was prone to be cheated on after all, he could easily fall for lies. Could easily fail, lose the only family he has left-
"Too? Wait, who died?" He wasn't sure who had asked but it was enough to bring him back to the present.
"Go ahead darling." he heard a soft whisper, like the calm wind after a storm. "Tell them who."
He glanced around but there was no image of the girl. Yet she could hear her, her whisper, her smugness, her coldness. Was it getting colder? He felt his heart beat as if he was climbing a mountain. Breathing had gotten harder as well. He needed to sit down, calm down, comfort Alexandra, do something-
He felt warmth.
A comforting warmth on his wrist. Soon it was his whole hand. He felt another one on his back, warmth seeping through. He took a deep breath, and another. And another.
"Deyka?" Ryutaro whispered, he squeezed Fadeyka's hand. "You okay?"
Fadeyka looked down at him. He had a kind, understanding face. He smiled at him reassuringly. As far as he was aware Ryutaro was one of the only people who know of his loss. His fault, his sin. Yet he stood with him. Fadeyka sometimes wondered if Ryutaro was a forgiveness sent by him. Or not, he wasn't as considerate like that. No, Ryutaro was a blessing. He took a deep breath and met Sigma's gaze.
Some of his turmoil must have reflected on his face because the older man was looking at him with panic and regret. He looked like he wanted to hug him but he was just a reflection.
"Deyka I'm-"
"No need to worry Sigma." Fadeyka cut in. "I'll keep Sasha safe, even if it kills me."
"And here I am worried about your safety." Sigma sighed.
"You have a funny way of showing." Ryutaro smiled. It looked sweet but Fadeyka knew it was how he showed his discomfort. Everything about Ryutaro was twisted, different, out of the box. Oh how much Fadeyka adored it.
"No need to worry your pretty head. We have his back." the young detective assured. Sigma's shoulders slumped.
"Okay! Time to end this lovely chat." Halide walked up, seemingly out of knowhere. "'Sup?" she waved. Some of the group waved back.
"I have class in ten minutes and we still have more worried parents out here. So Mr. Manager please return to your poker game instead of emotionally wounding your... what adoptive siblings? Nieces?"
Sigma didn't grace her with an answer. "Just... be careful." he glanced at Fadeyka for a moment before walking away.
"That was tense." Halide smiled. Fadeyka decided to sit down instead of answering. He had just had a fight with the only adult family he had left anyways.
"So I'm not the only one who's confused right?" Takashi voiced. "What was Sigma talking about? Where was he by the way? He didn't look on edge? And what was he talking about!? None of us died. I mean sure, our parents did but still, Fadeyka didn't lose anyone-"
"Takashi, shut up." Ryutaro snapped as he sat next to Fadeyka.
"Well I have no idea what the manager was talking about but I know where he is." Lucy smiled.
"Wow..." Past Lucy stared. "This is so freaky."
"I know right?" Future Lucy smiled. "Hey you kids!"
"Lucy!" Ryutaro grinned, waving excitedly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Of course I am. No matter what, they can't get into Anne's Room" she winked. "So anyone who survives comes here."
"Survives?" Shizuko echoed.
"Oh right... You kids had your own deal." Lucy's smile dropped. "It's a warzone out there. With your parents gone the Ring is bombing everywhere, attacking buildings. We can only hide since we aren't exactly organized."
"And what the hell is government doing?" Chuuya questioned.
"The government, Mr. Nakahara, is corrupted." a stern voice answered.
"Hey Ango." Shizuko greeted. Ango only nodded.
"Good to see at least one division is together." he glanced at Daishiro. "Nice work on trapping the dangerous one's in the past. We can take a breath now, thank you."
"Thank Alex and Fumiya. It was them who brought us to the past." the captain got up and walked upto Ango. He looked around. "Where are Alex and Fumiya?"
Fadeyka quickly looked around and sure enough, they weren't there. Of course... He was so focused on himself, he completely forgot about Sasha. Oh he was going kill Sigma for this-
"They're together. It's fine." Natsuko calmly said. "You can relax my friend." she said in a low voice, just so only Fadeyka could hear her.
"Great, we're dead but Doc Glasses is still thriving." Chuuya rolled his eyes. Next to him Dazai was standing and assessing him. Ango opted to ignore them.
"Daishiro, we need your team to take care of X-"
"That's kind of the plan Sakaguchi." Takashi rolled their eyes.
"-While we'll take care of the remaining ability users under the Ring's control."
"Who's left behind?" Akeno asked.
"Usually Guild and Dostoevsky's men." Ango dismissed.
"Please do not dismiss my members like that." a voice spoke from the side. "Hey Adisay, show me who Sakamachi is speaking to."
"My name is Adıvar!" Halide shouted. She snapped her fingers and Ango disappeared. Instead the illusions showed a different part of Anne's Room. Huddled around a small, round table Sigma, Fitzgerald and a guy Fadeyka didn't know sat, playing poker. Upon seeing the unknown man, Chuuya and Dazai glanced at each other.
"Oh it's these kids." Fitzgerald said.
"Hey boss." Ryutaro greeted again.
"William! Finally, an employee of mine who doesn't want me dead." Fitzgerald smiled. "Hawthorne has changed sides again and Twain tried to assassinate me twice!"
"Sad to hear that sir."
"Louisa is here. Along with Mr. Melville." Lucy walked up. "But we lost sight of Allan weeks ago."
"He's probably here. We'll handle him." Daishiro promised. Fadeyka looked at Ryutaro but the other boy seemed intent on not making eye contact.
"And when you say handle..." Yosano began. "How do you plan on killing people who are already dead?"
"By destroying their conciousness crystals of course." the unknown man said, looking up from his cards.
"What are you doing there Adam?" Chuuya snorted.
"Chuuya-sama! I am glad to see you alive again." this Adam person said. Fadeyka pinched Shizuko's arm. The ginger raised an eyebrow.
"Who's that?"
"Adam Frankenstein. A robot detective working in the Europole. He and father had met when he came to Japan to arrest Uncle Paul."
"A robot..?"
"Well yes, Fadeyka Feodorovich. I am the first autonomous humanoid computer in the world. I was created by Dr. Wollstonecraft. Actually, she is the reason I am here." the robot, appearantly, smiled. Fadeyka woved to never tell Alexandra an actual AI robot existed, or she would lose her mind with fear. Fadeyka himself hated robotics as well, finding them creepy. Their theory for world ending revolved around robots after all.
"You see, Doctor was ordered from Dame Christie to find out X's identity and weaknesses." Adam stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry but the information is classified and only to be revealed to Fukuzawa Daishiro."
"Out with it tin man." Chuuya ordered.
Adam took a second to process the order, literally. Fadeyka didn't care that much. All he wanted was to find his sister or down a bottle of vodka. Or just cuddle with Ryutaro. He wasn't sure. But the name adam dropped seconds later made his blood froze in his veins. Shizuko, Chuuya and Tachihara swore loudly. Even his papa and tato glanced at each other, stunned.
"Jack London." Adam had said, not even aware of the bomb he had dropped. A madman, a serial killer. A man who was killed fourty years ago.
~~~
Alexandra might have been small, weak and sickly but she was fast. Gods damn it she was fast. And knew how to hide. Luckly the tea house was also small so she didn't have much choice in that matter.
Fumiya climbed to the small second floor to find her. Natsuko had attempted to follow the girl but Fumiya had stopped her, deciding she wasn't well informed about this to bring Alex back to her senses.
The Dostoevsky family were so adamant on keeping their loss a secret. Fumiya had a sort of understading on why but he also thought they were a bit too strict about it. Still, he respected their choice. As far as he was aware only he, Ranpo, Ryutaro and interestingly Yosano knew that there used to be three children instead of two.
"Get out." Alexandra ordered as he climbed the last of the stairs. She was sitting on a table near a window, watching the quiet street. She had the weird ability to understand who was coming based on footsteps and honestly it was freaky.
"It's not like I haven't see you cry before." Fumiya responded. Alexandra just sniffed.
"Honestly," he walked upto her and sat at the opposing chair. "No one cares if you cry. Well, we care but differently. You get what I'm saying."
The other huffed as she took a piece of napkin to wipe her eyes. "I hate how one mention can turn me into a mess. If he were to see this, he'd definitely make fun of me. Of us." she added as a later thought. "I shouldn't have leave Deshka like that." she mumbled.
"He's got Ryutaro. You know how weirdly good those two get along."
"Yeah..." she sniffed. "You boys do get along."
"You and Natsuko get along too."
"Yeah I suppose..."
"Okay that's it." Fumiya jumped next to her. Alexandra barely avoided falling of the table. "What's with you?"
"Que- que'est-ce que tu fais!? Es tu un imbecile!?" she screamed.
"En Français? Pourquoi?" Fumiya replied, puzzled. Alexandra stopped for a moment.
"I forgot you spoke it too." she replied after a second. Fumiya chuckled as he threw an arm around her shoulders. She flinched back at first but allowed him when Fumiya used his ability.
"I'm just confused on why you are so emotional these days. Is it... your parents?" he asked. Then he wished he didn't, as it might have been offensive. Alexandra hit him lightly.
"A little." she replied. "I just have so much losses. And Fadeyka is acting distant towards me."
"He's probably as sad as you are right now. Trust me, we all are." the brunet sighed. "He probably has no idea how to process things. Since your emotional capability equals to one of a rocks'-" another light hit "he's just doing a bad job."
"I... just want to go back to normal."
"Well we gotta work hard for that." Fumiya messed her hair. "Now ready to go back or do you want to mope around a little bit more?"
"This can't be healthy." Alex jumped off of the table. She wiped her face and nose with a napkin and started to walk towards the stairs.
"Alex you've been killing people since you were eleven. We way passed the point of healthy." Fumiya rolled his eyes as followed the girl. Alexandra turned around, a mischievious smirk on her face.
"I was five actually." she grinned. Fumiya stopped in his tracks.
"Excuse me?"
"You're excused. Let's go."
And just like that she jumped on the railing and slid down. Fumiya took a breath, rubbing his eyes. He was calm. Why wouldn't he be? His friend and partner in crime had just turned out to be one of the youngest killers in the world and possibly in history. Nothing to worry about. Fumiya made a mental note about never sleeping whenever he got Alexandra angry again and walked down.
~~~
"-And then we wandered around for a while. Port areas are still more secure than rest of the city but had it not been Lucy-chan we would have been long captured." Higuchi was explaining as the pair got down, while Natsuko sat on the table closest to her with Gin standing next to her. They both hadn't changed much. Though Fumiya knew they were at the age of thirty instead of early twenties like they were in the past. Or present. It depended on who was talking.
"Anyways we've been trying to get the city back ever since. Protect the civilians, kill rival gangs."
"The usual then?" Takashi asked. Higuchi nodded.
"Welcome back you two." Ango greeted Fumiya and Alexandra. Fumiya waved while Alexandra bowed slightly "We waited for you to give the details."
"Sorry for that. Go ahead."
"Now there are two things. First is that Jack London is somehow back."
"Yeey. Who was that again?" Alex asked.
"Seriously, do you ever listen to papa?" Fadeyka rolled his eyes. His sister simply grinned as she sat next to him.
"We're kind of confused as well." Yosano pointed to the Agency. "We've never heard of this Jack London."
"Because up until now he was supposed to be dead" Dazai said. "Unless someone did not lie again." he looked directly at Mori. The mafia boss paid him no mind.
"He was hunted by the combined efforts of the military. That was the intel I had gotten." he looked at Tachihara. The ginger shrugged.
"Commander was the one to do it." Tachihara said. "Jack London was a notorious serial killer during the Great War. He was a dangerous ability user. He worked for everyone as long as they paid him to. London first became a wanted criminal in America at the start of the war, then ran to England. After that, to Japan where he was killed by Commander Fukuchi a couple of months before the war ended."
"He sounds pretty dead to me." Shizuko said. "Maybe someone with a similar ability?"
"Not possible." Adam interjected. "The ability signals match with the ones Dr. Wollstonecraft detected back at the war times. It is most certainly him."
"But Commander said-" Tachihara began but he was interrupted.
"I wouldn't trust him that much hunting pup." Nikolai grinned.
"What the fuck did you just call me?"
"Calm down Tachihara." Mori ordered. "You can't expect a smart answer from him."
"However stupid a fool's words may be, they are sometimes enough to confound an intelligent man." Nikolai said in his low voice and oddly serious face. Fyodor and Sigma both turned to look at him, their faces akin to something like bewilderment. Though it was only Sigma who looked the part, Fyodor's face was as blank as ever.
"Well... I suppose, I guess?" Tachihara stared at the gester, weirded out by his unusual character change.
"What тато trying to say is that Fukuchi might have let him live. London was a strong ability user, if he had found a way to use him, especially during the war, then he might be still alive today." Fadeyka said.
"That does sound logical. Fukuchi was willing to use anyone to achieve his goals." Alexandra added.
"Do we know if he's from this year or from our time?" Natsuko asked.
"No, unfortunately." Adam answered. "But we do know how to release the conciousness of the captured ability users."
"The what now?" Shizuko asked. Adam stood up to explain.
"Remember, simple words." Sigma said to him. The android nodded.
"Now I assume you think the captured ones are under some type of mind control but appearantly they are not. Doctor's research suggest that the conciousness has been switched. Normally it is the human who controls the ability. In their situation however, it is the ability who controls the human."
"And the ability is controlled by London." Ryutaro finished.
"Exactly." Adam smiled. "The reason they killed them on was to make that reverse possible. A part of the ability."
"So if we were to nullify the ability would it bring them back?" Fumiya asked, trying to hold his voice from shaking. He didn't like assuming the worst but he'd rather be prepared to the worst than hope for the best.
"That is unknown." Adam answered.
"What isn't?" Fumiya sighed.
"I doubt we'll be able to nullify it. With Agency allies protecting him we will never get close to London." Daishiro pointed out.
"That will not be necessary." Adam interrupted. "Doctor has followed the ability signals of London and found a way to release them."
"Ability signals..?" Atsushi questioned. Alexandra turned to him.
"It's like a sound wave all abilities have. For example Director Taneda, the leader of Special Division for Unusual Powers, can understand an ability's entire nature if its activated near him. He does it by ability signals." the Ukrainian explained. "They are completely unique to the ability user, no matter what they are. My brother and my tato here have the same ability, but their signals are different."
"Slightly different." Alexandra added as an after thought. "But different nontheless. When me and Doctor Mary met back at Los Angeles she showed me how it worked."
"I always forget you were at that book fair as well." Ryutaro interrupted. "But then again, all I remember are the zombies."
"The what?" Sigma turned to him. But before the boy could answer Akeno interrupted.
"Adam-san, please continue. How do we release the captured people?"
"Well Ms. Ozaki-Koyo, Doctor has followed the signals into little crystals. We believe nullifying them will stop the captured ability users."
"What will happen to them?" Shizuko asked.
"Uknown." Adam answered.
"Will they return to their normalselves or will ability still control them?" Fumiya asked this time.
"Unknown." Adam answered again.
"Wait do abilites work with the Ring willingly or are they being controlled?" Fadeyka questioned.
"Unknown."
"Will our parents come back to life?" Takashi spoke.
"Unknown."
"You know nothing more than what you told us, don't you?" Ryutaro rolled his eyes.
"That is correct."
"It seems we will improvise after this." Daishiro broke his silence. "No matter. We have dealt with worse."
"What can be worse than your parents, who are dead and under control of the enemy?" Future Sigma asked. Daishiro just shrugged.
"That was reassuring." Future Sigma dead panned.
"Hey tall guy!" Alexandra called out, looking at Adam. The robot pointed at himself in question. Alexandra just continued.
"Do you know how Doctor tracked down the ability signals?"
"She built a device using London's DNA to track his ability signals."
"So if we were to have a device to do that, could we do the same with DNA?" she asked, her hand going for her pendant.
"Oh what is this?" Fumiya found himself grinning
Dostoevsky family, as nature, was extremely secretive. To the point it took Fumiya a year to learn Fadeyka's favourite food (it's something called borscht) and he's still not sure about Alexandra's. Despite this, he knows a good amount of their secrets. One of them is that he knows what exactly is in that little gnome's pendant.
"That could be possible but it was Doctors own design." Adam said proudly (as proud as an android can sound anyway) said. Alexandra rolled her eyes.
"I'm aware. I'm the reason she came up with it." she took out her pendant and showed it to Adam for him to inspect. The android scanned it (literally) and nodded.
"This is the device. Though much less simple, it could work in a smaller area." Adam said.
"It better be." Alexandra huffed. "I paid my and my brothers' whole allowence for it."
"You what!?" Fadeyka shrieked in a high, Gogol pitch. And continued with that same tone "When did that happen?"
"The book fair, duh! That was the only time I ever saw Doctor Mashka." his sister grinned.
"What- Papa chewed me out for getting my money stolen in the crowds! And you let him!"
"But your money did get stole in the crowd. I stole it when you were walking around."
Fumiya guffawed "So your sister stole your money?" he looked directly at his own sister. "How reletable."
Fadeyka gritted his teeth "How did you manage to steal Lyosha's?"
"Oh he gave it to me. He was kind like that." to that Fadeyka let out an offended gasp. Meanwhile Shizuko snorted.
"Wow your brother gave you money? How unreletable."
"I think we're done with your services Adam-san." Akeno sighed as she watched the pair of siblings bicker. "Thank you for your service."
At that Adam gave a programmed smile and bowed slightly.
"It's why I'm here."
"Well I hope this was informative but now this little call should come to an end." Halide showed up. "Since my lunch break is over and the teacher will mark me absent if I'm even a minute late. Do your goodbyes. Quickly!" she ordered as she gathered her bag.
"No need for any more time." Ango sternly said. "Kids, good luck. I hate to say this but we are counting on you to save Yokohama."
"No pressure huh?" Shizuko sighed.
"There's quite a lot of pressure actually." Adam tilted his head. Chuuya groaned.
"Bye Natsuko, Takashi. Don't get hurt." Higuchi smiled. Both cousins gave their promises. Sigma smiled and to Fumiya's surprise, Alexandra smiled back.
"Well, good luck guys." Halide said lastly before snapping her fingers and the little cafe was met with silence.